Massachusetts lawmakers have voted 151 to 45 to dismiss conservative calls for yet another anti-gay marriage amendment for the 2008 ballot.

The debate started today at 1pm amidst what one journo described as pandemonium. Pro and anti-gay activists gathered outside the State House to voice their different views in the highly contentious, volatile vote. Conservatives were five votes away from placing the issue on 2008's ballot. They've been fighting the issue since Massachusetts first legalized same-sex nups way back in 2004.

Commenting on the decision, HRC's ever-ready Joe Solmonese said,

We hope that this decisive vote puts to an end, once and for all, attempts to bypass the Supreme Judicial Court’s historic decision in the Goodridge case. The system worked; the court did its job by applying the state constitution to guarantee equal protection for all Massachusetts citizens and legislators did their job by defeating the anti-marriage amendment, which sought to return same-sex couples to second-class status. Now, we look forward to seeing other states join Massachusetts in recognizing marriage equality and putting an end to discrimination against same-sex couples and their families.”

Word. Hopefully the conservative wackos will take this as a sign to stop, thus preserving the little dignity they have left – or is it right?